Made It So.

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Queen makes it so: Patrick Stewart knighted
Actor famous for playing ‘Star Trek’s’ Capt. Picard receives royal honor

updated 5:25 p.m. MT, Wed., Dec . 30, 2009
LONDON - There’s an especially starry knight in Britain’s latest round of royal honors.

Patrick Stewart — “Star Trek: The Next Generation’s” Capt. Jean-Luc Picard — becomes Sir Patrick in Queen Elizabeth II’s New Year honors list, which also includes a knighthood for theater and film director Nicholas Hytner.

“This is an honor that embraces those actors, directors and creative teams who have in these recent years helped fill my life with inspiration, companionship and sheer fun,” said 69-year-old Stewart, who recently returned to the British stage following a long career in Hollywood that included playing Professor Charles Xavier in three “X-Men” films.

Erich Reich, a refugee from Nazi-occupied Europe who organized last year’s 70th anniversary of the “Kindertransport,” which brought 10,000 children to wartime Britain, also received a knighthood.

A separate honors list in New Zealand bestowed a knighthood on the king of Middle Earth — “Lord of the Rings” filmmaker Peter Jackson.

Jackson, 53, was knighted in New Zealand, his native land and the filming location for the trilogy, which collected 17 Academy Awards. The New Zealand award is approved by the queen, the country’s head of state.

Jackson is currently is working on the two-movie prequel “The Hobbit,” also based on a book by J.R.R. Tolkien, with Mexican director Guillermo del Toro.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/34636106...t-celebrities/